Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has repaid more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality after facing criticism for accepting donations while in office. The repayments include costs for six Taylor Swift concert tickets, four tickets to the races, and a clothing rental agreement for his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer.
The move follows weeks of backlash against Sir Keir and other members of the Cabinet, who had promised to “clean up” British politics but faced scrutiny over accepting tens of thousands of pounds worth of freebies from wealthy donors.
On Wednesday, a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that Sir Keir has decided to repay several gifts received since entering Number 10, while also announcing a plan to overhaul hospitality rules for ministers to ensure greater transparency. The Prime Minister has commissioned a new set of principles on gifts and hospitality to be published as part of the updated ministerial code,” the spokesperson said. Ahead of the publication of the new code, the Prime Minister has paid for several entries on his own register. This will appear in the next register of members’ interests.
Repayments Include Concert Tickets and Clothing Rental
Sir Keir has repaid £2,800 for four Taylor Swift tickets from Universal Music Group, £598 for two tickets from the Football Association, and £1,939 for four tickets to Doncaster Races provided by Arena Racing Corporation. Additionally, he has covered the cost of an £839 clothing rental agreement with designer Edeline Lee, recently worn by his wife to London Fashion Week, as well as a one-hour hair and makeup session.
Amid the controversy, Sir Keir defended his decision, stating it was “right” for him to repay the cost of the gifts until updated principles for donations are put in place. “We came in as a government of change,” he said during a trip to Brussels. Until now, politicians have used their best individual judgment on a case-by-case basis. I think we need some principles of general application. So, I took the position that until the principles are in place, it was right for me to make those repayments.
Other Donations Under Scrutiny
Sir Keir has also accepted an additional £6,134 in “clothing and personal support” for Lady Starmer in June from Labour peer Lord Waheed Alli. This declaration has come under scrutiny as it was revealed on Wednesday that Lord Alli is under investigation by Parliament’s standards watchdog over an alleged failure to register interests. The Lords’ commissioner is investigating an “alleged non-registration of interests” by the peer, though Labour has stated that Lord Alli will “cooperate fully” and is “confident all interests have been registered.
Sir Keir’s acceptance of hospitality for football matches also continues to draw criticism. He received £920 worth of tickets from Tottenham Hotspur stadium for the north London derby in September, and £1,000 from Arsenal FC for a game in August. He has previously defended such hospitality, citing security concerns that prevent him from watching from the stands without a significant police presence.
Conservatives Criticise Transparency
The Conservatives accused Sir Keir of only being transparent when “his back’s against the wall.” A spokesperson for the party said, “This announcement today poses more questions than it answers.” They also questioned why other senior members of the government, such as Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, were not making similar repayments.
Angela Rayner herself declared £836 for a spot in a DJ booth at nightclub Hi Ibiza, where she was filmed partying over the summer.
Other Declarations from MPs
The register of members’ interests, published on Wednesday, also included declarations from other MPs:
- Foreign Secretary David Lammy accepted £2,300 worth of hospitality from Tottenham Hotspur FC to watch the north London derby in September.
- Labour MP Liam Conlon, son of Sir Keir’s chief of staff Sue Gray, accepted £1,660 worth of tickets to a Taylor Swift concert at Wembley Stadium from the Premier League in August.
- Conservative leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick declared £134,376.51 in donations, with additional declarations of £152,508.22 by Tom Tugendhat, £89,000 by James Cleverly, and £40,000 by Kemi Badenoch from various backers.
Jenrick, who has received almost £135,000 in donations since August, came under fire for accepting £75,000 from Spott Fitness. The company, which has no employees and has never made a profit, has over £300,000 of debts, sparking concerns about transparency. Businessman Phillip Ullman recently revealed himself as the source of the funds, asserting that he wanted to show transparency, while Jenrick maintained that the donations were “perfectly legal and valid.”
The row over donations and hospitality has highlighted the need for greater clarity and consistency in rules governing ministerial gifts, prompting Sir Keir to take proactive measures as he seeks to uphold promises of ethical governance.
